In U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,609 issued on Nov. 19, 1985, in the names of the inventors William E. Ruehl, Richard E. Heidorn and Edwin G. Swick, and entitled "Transient Voltage Protector," and which is assigned to the same assignee as this invention, there is shown and described a transient voltage protector which includes a plastic housing formed of two-pieces that telescope in part. The housing consists of a terminal portion containing four sheet metal terminals and a grounding portion containing only a single pair of voltage limiting devices, such as, for example, Zener diodes. However, while shorting gas tubes are typically used in connection with such voltage protectors, they were provided externally of the housing.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,743 issued on Mar. 31, 1987, which was a continuation-in-part application of a parent application that matured into the '609 patent, there is shown and described a modification of the '609 patent in which the housing therein was adapted so as to internally enclose the gas tubes. Furthermore, the '743 patent discloses an external resistor assembly which is adapted as a plug-in assembly in connection with the housing. This latter patent also teaches the arrangement of fuses, which in accordance with conventional practice had located the fuses remotely of the housing, to be disposed within the housing via plug-in fuse units. In addition, there is provided a side ground connector which interfits with a mounting member and extends through the housing via suitable slots therein. The side ground connector is connected to the sheet metal ground contacts by means of a ground wire, which extends across the mounting member, so as to provide ground potential to the ground contacts.